s it unfinished, then his readers shall
finish the sentence, and sometimes the chapter, for themselves. If the
sentence, or the chapter, as the case may be, _shall turn out to be
exactly what the Baron would have written had he continued it, then
he, the Baron, will award_ L100 _to the successful candidate, or will
award a division of that sum among the successful candidates. Every
competitor shall pay the Baron_ L50. _And to insure such payment,
each competitor's cheque for this amount must accompany his or her
contribution._

EXAMPLE.--_CHAPTER I.--The harvest-moon was slowly rising. The
heather, dried and burnt by the mid-day sun, appeared, to the eye
unaccustomed to this aspect of the country, to be merely a rugged
divergence from the main road. Descending carefully from his dog-cart,
a small man in a big coat, muffled up to the eyes, proceeded leisurely
to--_

Now, then, _what_ did he leisurely proceed to do? There's a fortune in
it!--somewhere!--says

THE BARON DE BOOK-WORMS.

* * * * *

[Illustration: STUDIES IN ANIMAL LIFE.

THE GOORMONG. (_EPICURI DE GREGE PORCUS. BRITISH ISLES._)

_Mr. Huggins._ "_WHAT_ A 'EAVENLY DINNER IT WAS!"

_Mr. Buggins._ "B'LIEVE YER! MYKES YER WISH YER WAS BORN 'OLLER!"]

* * * * *

SPRING TIME IN LEAP YEAR;

OR, THE JOLLY BATHERS.

_First Jolly Bather_ (_singing, quaveringly_):--
Spring's delights are now revi-i-i-vi-i-i-ng,
Verdant leaflets deck each spr-a-ay!

_Second Jolly Bather_ (_impatiently_). _Don't_, ARTHUR, make that
row! B-r-r-r! (_Shivers._) Spring's _delights_, indeed! And as to
the "verdant leaflets" (unless you mean election squibs), where _are_
they?

_First Ditto._ Ah, "verdant leaflets" not a bad name for Financial
Reform tracts, _et id genus omne_. Touch of your old satirical
Saturday-Reviewish style there, Nunky!

_Second Ditto_ (_hastily_). Oh, bother! What are we here for?

_First Ditto_ (_coolly_). Why, to _bathe_, I presume.

_Second Ditto._ Bah! One would think, ARTHUR, we belonged to that
society of lunatics who make a point of taking a matutinal plunge in
the Serpentine every morning, all the year round, _even if they have
to break the ice to do it_! Ineffable idiots! [_Curls up._

_First Ditto._ Well, we may as well put a good face on it, Uncle.

[_Grimaces._

_Second Ditto_. Ah, yes, you can say so--at _your_ age, ARTHUR. I like
my morning tub i